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Tuesday, October 28, 2008

White Chicken Chili

Today was the first time I heard the word "snow" as part of the sentence "Tonight it might..." October seems awfully early to me to be talking about flurries, but then again I'm still in the Texas mindset. So it seemed the only thing to do was to bring some Texas sensibility to the ridiculously cold weather. I needed some warm, spicy chili. My mother makes a traditional red chili that's a little on the mild side and includes some of those big red kidney beans. I'm not a personal fan of big beans, so I instead chose to make a white chicken chili with little white beans. I didn't really have a recipe; I mostly winged it. Luckily for me it was absolutely delicious. I used a whole jalapeño pepper for mine, and it turned out about medium Texas spicy. The amount of jalapeño can definitely be reduced or it can be left out all together. I served mine with avocado, sour cream, and cilantro. And of course I also topped it with cheese. You can use Monterey Jack, Cheddar, queso blanco, or anything else that catches your fancy. I personally used smoked Gouda because...well...I really like it. And I forgot to buy Monterey Jack.White Chicken Chili

Combine onion, garlic, jalapeño, and butter in a large pot. Sauté for several minutes until the onion starts to soften. Sprinkle cumin on top to release the flavor. Add beans, green chiles, chopped chicken, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Once chili is heated through, add milk and stir in. Put cornstarch into a small bowl. Carefully ladle some liquid from the chili onto the cornstarch, and mix to form a thin paste. Pour the paste into the chili and allow several minutes to thicken slightly.

I already had the chicken breast in the refrigerator and was planning on making a green chili tonight when I happened on this recipe. I had all but the jalapeno on hand, and picked one up on the way home this afternoon. We just ate, and I wanted to give some feedback - delicious. Really, really good. And it could not have been easier. And forgiving too - there's no reason you can't throw this together in a few minutes and let it sit almost indefinitely until you're ready to eat. BTW I used 1.5 tablespoons of cumin and a shot of oregano, but that's just me. Over all, a great and simple recipe using standard pantry items. I really appreciate the easy instructions and the way the steps are paced to turn out so good with such little effort and little time. Refreshingly well developed recipe. This is just plain good and perfect for our busy schedule and my thirst for quick, affordable, tasty, and healthy things. Thanks for putting this recipe together and publishing it, and I look forward to reviewing your others.

Cheers.

p.s. I put some grated cheese on top like the chef did, and mine looked exactly like the picture. I don't think it's the wrong picture at all, as other commenters mentioned. And BTW, a little cheese on top goes perfectly.

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